Simpsons SKODA dealer principal makes it three Fabia S2000s in the top five after SKODA Motorsport drivers Esapekka Lappi and Sepp Wiegand finish 1st and 2nd
Neil Simpson finished a flying 5th overall on his first attempt at the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally, after an excellent performance in his ex-factory Simpsons SKODA Fabia S2000.
Co-driven by Claire Mole, the 41-year old dealer principal from Clitheroe in Lancashire made excellent progress during the Belfast-based event – climbing from 9th after SS1 to 5th after SS12, as the rally unfolded over the ultra-fast all-asphalt closed country lanes.
Competing against the regular FIA European Rally Championship competitors and many of Ireland’s elite drivers, Neil – on only his third rally after returning from a 12-year sabbatical – also had to master some of the notoriously big jumps, as the Easter rally played out at a fast and furious pace.
Neil put in another faultless drive in his Pirelli-shod Fabia S2000 to complete the 18th and final stage in a magnificent 5th position overall – repaying his team’s hard work with a wonderful result after a gruelling 143.17 miles (230.42kms) of high-speed competition.
The Circuit of Ireland was also a great event for the factory SKODA Motorsport team, with Esapekka Lappi and Sepp Wiegand finishing 1st and 2nd in a pair of Fabia S2000s.
Neil said: “I would not have believed it if someone had said we’d finish fifth overall on a round of the European Rally Championship in only our third rally back – everyone in the team is absolutely delighted. I’m still driving well on the side of caution and not taking any risks, so it’s really encouraging that there is so much more to come.
“The Circuit of Ireland was a very fast and tough event. There were some huge jumps, and we had a very big landing on Hamilton’s Folly. I’ve had smaller landings before in my career and the car I’ve been driving has fallen to bits around me, but the Fabia S2000 just took it in its stride and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. The marks halfway up the front bumper showed that we’d landed hard on the nose of the car, but the Fabia didn’t flinch. It really is a remarkable piece of kit.
“I was also overwhelmed by the help and advice ŠKODA Motorsport gave us. The team was pretty busy running the two factory Fabia S2000s and finishing first and second, but were also incredibly supportive towards us and nothing was too much trouble. It really made for an unforgettable Circuit of Ireland.”
Circuit of Ireland – top 10 finishers
1. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (SKODA Fabia S2000)…. 2hrs 06mins 15.5secs
2. Sepp Wiegand/Frank Christian (SKODA Fabia S2000)…. +1min 50.0secs
3. Robert Barrable/Stuart Loudon (Ford Fiesta R5)…. + 1min 57.5secs
4. Robert Consani/Maxime Vilmot (Peugeot 207 S2000)…. + 5mins 34.0secs
5. Neil Simpson/Claire Mole (SKODA Fabia S2000)…. +6mins 33.5secs
6. Daniel McKenna/Arthur Kierans (Citroen DS3)….+6mins 33.5secs
7. Josh Moffett/John Rowan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)….+11mins 00.6secs
8. Jan Černý/Pavel Kohout (Peugeot 208 R2)….+12mins 57.4secs
9. Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R3T)….+13mins 50.1secs
10. Zoltán Bessenyey/Yulianna Nyirfás (Honda Civic)….+15mins 04.1secs
